One of the things I was worried about with my travel to Senegal was the food.  I wasn’t sure I would like it and I heard they ate a lot of fish (which I don’t like).  I need not have worried!  The food here is AMAZING!!

Our host teacher invited us for lunch at his house our first day in St. Louis.  This was our first introduction to real Senegalese food and meal times.  A tablecloth was placed on the floor and we all sat around it.  Then our teacher’s wife, Marietou, put down a large serving platter/bowl.  She handed us all a spoon and everyone eats from the communal dish.  I have learned that many just eat with their hands, as Marietou did.   This dish is called Soup kandé.  It is kind of a gumbo with shrimp.

This one is Yassa Chicken (my favorite!). It can be made with chicken or fish and is served over rice and vegetables.  The chicken had a great spice-but wasn’t too hot.   Marietou tore the chicken apart with her hands and made sure we all had some in front of us.  I need this recipe!

Today we had Mafé. Mafé is beef or lamb in a peanut sauce with cabbage and sweet potatoes.

After the meal, we have tea and natural juice.  (These I will explain in a later post!)

Tomorrow we are having our good-bye dinner at another teacher’s house.  Can’t wait to see what they serve!